Device for actuating the pivoting movement of a vehicle flap

ABSTRACT

The device for actuating a pivoting movement of a vehicle flap about a pivot axis includes a gas spring having a cylinder and a piston rod protruding from the cylinder. Either the cylinder or the piston rod is coupled to a fixed component of the vehicle body, and the other one of cylinder and piston rod is coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis. A flexurally rigid guide extends parallel adjacent to the gas spring and is fixedly connected to the cylinder of the gas spring. One region of a flexible tension and compression element is guided in the guide and operatively connected to the flap, and a second region is guided in a flexible casing and operatively connected to a reversible drive, so that the flexible tension and compression element can be motor-driven.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for actuating the pivoting movement ofa vehicle flap which can be pivoted about a pivot axis, the devicehaving a gas spring with a cylinder and a piston rod which is protrudingon one side of the cylinder. One of the cylinder or the piston rod iscoupled to a fixed component of the body of the vehicle, and the otherone is coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis of theflap. The device also comprises an at least partially flexible pushingand pulling element which is connected at its one end to the flap andcan be motor-driven by a reversible drive in the longitudinal direction.

In a device of this type, it is known to guide the pushing and pullingelement in a coaxial bore in the piston rod, the rod-like end region ofthe pushing and pulling element protruding through the interior of thecylinder. This design requires seals both on the pushing and pullingelement, which is guided from the outside into the interior of thecylinder, and on the piston rod, which is guided to the outside, theseal of the pushing and pulling element being arranged on an axiallymovable component and therefore provides an increased leakage problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for actuating thepivoting movement of a vehicle flap which is constructed in a simplemanner and requires as few and as secure seals as possible on themovable components guided to the outside from the interior of thecylinder, and permits the gas spring and motor drive to be arrangedspatially independently of each other.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a gasspring having a cylinder extending in a longitudinal direction and apiston rod extending out of one side of the cylinder, one of thecylinder or the piston rod being coupled to a fixed component of a bodyof the vehicle, and the other one of the cylinder and the piston rodbeing coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis, aflexurally rigid guide extending in the longitudinal direction paralleladjacent to the gas spring and being fixedly connected to the cylinderof the gas spring, a flexible tension and compression element havingfirst and second regions, the first region being guided in the guide andbeing operatively connected to the flap and the second region beingguided in a flexible casing; and a reversible drive connected to thesecond region such that the flexible tension and compression element isdrivable by the reversible drive in the longitudinal direction.

In this design, the piston rod, which is led out of the cylinder, is theonly movable component to be sealed, so that leakage problems arereduced.

The motor drive does not have to be arranged in the region of the flapbut rather may be placed at a location remote therefrom.

During an extension movement of the piston rod, the forces of the motordrive and the gas spring drive are added together while, during aretraction of the piston rod, the force of the motor drive is subtractedfrom the force of the gas spring.

In order to avoid buckling of the flexible part of the tension andcompression element over the extension length of the piston rod, thelongitudinal extent of the guide can approximately correspond to theextension length of the piston rod of the gas spring.

For the simple application of force to the flap both by the gas springand by the tension and compression element, it is possible, in a simplemanner, to connect the end region of the pushing and pulling element toa pushing and pulling rod which is connected at its free end via aconnecting member to the free end of the piston rod protruding out ofthe cylinder.

An increase of the push-out force that requires only a small amount ofadditional construction space is achieved by the gas spring and theguide being enclosed at a radial distance by a helical compressionspring which is supported at its one end on the connecting member and atits other end on a supporting member fixedly connected to the cylinder.

According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the devicecomprises a gas spring having a cylinder extending in a longitudinaldirection and a piston rod extending out of one side of the cylinder,one of the cylinder or the piston rod being coupled to a fixed componentof a body of the vehicle, and the other one of the cylinder and thepiston rod being coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis,a flexurally rigid guide extending in the longitudinal directionparallel and adjacent to the gas spring and having one end portionfixedly connected to the one of the cylinder or the piston rod, aflexible tension and compression element having first and secondregions, the first region being guided in the guide, being connected tothe other one of the cylinder and the piston rod and being operativelyconnected to the flap, and the second region being guided in a flexiblecasing, and a reversible drive connected to the second region such thatthe flexible tension and compression element is drivable by thereversible drive in the longitudinal direction.

Also in this embodiment, the piston rod, which is led out of thecylinder, is the only movable component to be sealed, so that leakageproblems are reduced.

The motor drive does not have to be arranged in the region of the flapbut rather may be placed at a location remote therefrom.

During an extension movement of the piston rod, the forces of the motordrive and the gas spring drive are added together while, during aretraction of the piston rod, the force of the motor drive is subtractedfrom the force of the gas spring.

In order to permit a simple connection of the tension and compressionelement to the cylinder, a slot is formed in the guide on its sidefacing the cylinder, the slot extending in the longitudinal direction,and a connecting element is provided radially protruding through theslot and fixedly connecting the end region of the tension andcompression element to the cylinder.

The guide can comprise both a continuous guide tube or a plurality ofguide tube sections arranged coaxially at a distance one behind another.

For the simple installation of the tension and compression element, itis possible for the guide tube or the guide tube sections to be composedof half tube parts connected to each other, the assembly of which takesplace after the tension and compression element has been fitted.

In a third embodiment, the device comprises a gas spring having acylinder extending in a longitudinal direction, a piston, and a pistonrod having a cross-sectional dimension and extending out of a first sideof the cylinder, one of the cylinder and the piston rod being coupled toa fixed component of a body of the vehicle, and the other one of thecylinder and the piston rod being coupled to the flap at a distance fromthe pivot axis, a flexurally rigid guide extending in the longitudinaldirection from a second side of the cylinder of the gas spring oppositefrom said first side, a flexible tension and compression element havinga first region guided in the guide and a second region guided in aflexible casing, a connecting rod having a cross-sectional dimension andextending in a sealed manner into the cylinder through the second sideand being fixedly connected to the piston, wherein the cross-sectionaldimension of the piston rod exceeds the cross-sectional dimension of theconnecting rod, the first region being operatively connected to the flapthrough the connecting rod and the piston rod, and a reversible driveconnected to the second region such that the flexible tension andcompression element is drivable by the reversible drive in thelongitudinal direction.

This embodiment makes it possible that the seals for the tension andcompression element in the piston rod are arranged in each case on fixedcomponents which are not axially movable, so that the seal is highlyreliable.

Furthermore, the motor drive does not have to be arranged in the regionof the flap but rather may be placed at a location remote therefrom.

During an extension movement of the piston rod, the forces of the motordrive and the gas spring drive are added together while, during aretraction of the piston rod, the force of the motor drive is subtractedfrom the force of the gas spring.

In a fourth embodiment, the device comprises a gas spring having acylinder extending in a longitudinal direction and a piston rodextending through one side of the cylinder, the cylinder beingoperatively coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis, andthe piston rod being coupled to a fixed component of a body of thevehicle, a first flexurally rigid guide connected at a distance from thepivot axis of the flap to a fixed component of the body of the vehicle,a second guide connected to a fixed component of the body of the vehicleand extending in the longitudinal direction parallel and adjacent to thegas spring, a flexible tension and compression element having a firstregion, a second region, and a third region intermediate the first andsecond regions, the first region being guided in the first guide andconnected to the flap, the second region being guided in the secondguide and being connected to the cylinder, and the third region beingguided in a flexible casing and connecting the first and second regions,and a reversible drive operatively connected for acting on the secondregion such that the flexible tension and compression element isdrivable by the reversible drive in the longitudinal direction.

Also in this embodiment, the piston rod, which is led out of thecylinder, is the only moveable component to be sealed, so that leakageproblems are reduced.

The motor drive does not have to be arranged in the region of the flapbut rather may be placed at a location remote therefrom.

During an extension movement of the piston rod, the forces of the motordrive and the gas spring drive are added together while, during aretraction of the piston rod, the force of the motor drive is subtractedfrom the force of the gas spring.

In order to permit a simple connection of the tension and compressionelement to the cylinder, a slot can be formed in the second guide on itsside facing the cylinder, the slot extending in the longitudinaldirection, and a connecting element can be provided radially protrudingthrough the slot and fixedly connecting the end region of the tensionand compression element to the cylinder.

The second guide may comprise both a continuous guide tube or aplurality of guide tube sections arranged coaxially at a distance onebehind another.

For the simple installation of the tension and compression element, itis possible that the guide tube or the guide tube sections are composedof half tube parts connected to each other, the assembly of which takesplace after the tension and compression element is fitted.

The cylinder of the gas spring can be moved in the longitudinaldirection by a spindle drive. A simple design consists in that athreaded spindle extending parallel to the longitudinal direction isfastened at its one end to the cylinder of the gas spring, while anaxially fixed spindle nut which can be driven rotatably by a motor driveis arranged on the threaded spindle.

In a simple design, the tension and compression element is a cable.

The motor drive can be a reversible electric motor. If the electricmotor is a non-self-locking electric motor, this permits a manualoperation of the flap when current is not being supplied to the electricmotor.

The flap can be locked in its closed position preferably by a lock whichcan be opened, for example an electromechanical lock.

A plurality of tension and compression elements can be driven by a motordrive each of them leading to a gas spring.

In order to be able to operate, in particular, large flaps with asymmetrical application of torque, one flap can be pivoted by aplurality of devices.

To protect the tension and compression element against damage, it can bedriven by the drive via a coupling, in particular an electromechanicalcoupling.

This coupling, which can be designed as an overload coupling, can bearranged in the motor drive or as a ratchet mechanism in the region ofthe tension and compression element.

If the speed of movement of the flap is detected by a sensor and itsmeasured value is compared with a desired value, the drive can be drivenin a stoppable or reversible manner if the measured value is lower thanthe desired value. Thus, an obstacle in the pivoting region of the flapcan be recognised and the drive can be stopped or reversed.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as adefinition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should bemade to the appended claims. It should be further understood that thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwiseindicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate thestructures and procedures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawingsand are described in more detail below.

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional lateral view of a first exemplaryembodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional lateral view of a second exemplary embodiment of adevice according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional lateral view of a third exemplaryembodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional lateral view of a fourth exemplaryembodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of aguide of the device according to FIG. 4 along the line V-V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of aguide of the device according to FIG. 4 along the line V-V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partially sectional lateral view of a fifth exemplaryembodiment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to FIG. 7 alongthe line VII-VII in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to FIG. 7 alongthe line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The devices illustrated in the Figures have a gas spring 1,1′,1″,1′″which comprises a longitudinally extending cylinder 2, 2′ filled withcompressed gas and a piston rod 3 led out of the cylinder 2, 2′ on oneside in a sealed manner. The piston rod 3 or a piston 13 connected to itis loaded in the extension direction by the compressed gas in thecylinder 2.

The exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 have in common that the freeend of the piston rod 3 protruding out of the cylinder 2, 2′ is coupledto a flap 26 (as shown in FIG. 7), which can be pivoted about a pivotaxis, at a distance from this pivot axis.

The cylinder 2 here is coupled to a fixed component 28 (as shown inFIGS. 4 and 7) of the body of the motor vehicle.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, there is arranged parallel adjacent to the cylinder 2of the gas spring 1 a guide tube 4 of approximately identical length,one end of which is fixedly connected to that end of the cylinder 2which is opposite the piston rod 3.

A tension and compression element in form of a cable 5 is arranged inthe cylindrical guide tube 4, the one end region of this cable 5 beingconnected to a flexurally rigid pushing and pulling rod 6 which isconnected at its free end via a connecting member 7 to the free end ofthe piston rod 3 protruding out of the cylinder 2.

On the side opposite the pushing and pulling rod 6, the cable 5 isguided by a flexible casing 30 (see FIG. 2) adjoining the guide tube 4to a reversible motor drive 24 (see FIG. 7) and can be driven movably inthe longitudinal direction by the latter.

In the closed state of the flap 26, the piston rod 3 is retracted intothe cylinder 2. The flap 26 can be held in this position by a lock 32(see FIG. 7), for example an electromechanical lock.

If the lock 32 is opened, the piston rod 3 is moved in the extensiondirection by the gas pressure in the cylinder 2 and is also acted uponin this direction by the pushing and pulling rod 6, since the cable 5 isdriven in a pushing manner by the motor drive 24.

As a result, the flap 26 pivots into its open position.

If the flap 26 is now to be closed again, a reversal of the movement ofthe motor drive 24 takes place, the drive 24 then driving the cable 5 ina pulling manner and thus using the pushing and pulling rod 6 and theconnecting member 7 to pull the piston rod 3 into the cylinder 2 and topivot the flap 26 into its closed position until it latches into thelock 32.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the opening movement is assistedby a helical compression spring 8 which surrounds the gas spring 1 andthe guide tube 4 at a radial distance and is supported at its one end onthe connecting member 7 and at its other end on a supporting member 9fixedly connected to the cylinder 2.

To close the flap 26, the force of this helical compression spring 8 hasadditionally to be overcome.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the cylinder 2′ extends beyondthe region filled with compressed gas, this continuation of the cylinder2′ forming the guide tube 4 in which a pushing and pulling member 10 isguided displacably.

At its one end, the pushing and pulling member 10 is connected to aconnecting rod 12 which extends coaxially in a sealed manner through abase 11 within the cylinder 2′ and is connected at its other end to apiston 13 mounted on the piston rod 3, the piston 13 being arrangeddisplacably in the cylinder 2′.

In this case, the piston rod 3 has a significantly larger cross-sectionthan the connecting rod 12, so that the compressed gas in the cylinder2′ can move the piston 12 in the extension direction of the piston rod 3and the piston rod 3 can act upon the flap 26 in the opening direction.

The one end of a cable 5′ is fastened to that end of the pushing andpulling member 10 which is opposite the connecting rod 12, the cable,corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 3, leading in a flexible casing 30 to areversible motor drive 24 which drives the cable 5′ in a pushing mannerto open the flap 26 and in a pulling manner to close the flap 26.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the free end of the piston rod 3protruding out of the cylinder 2 is coupled to a fixed component 28 of amotor vehicle while the cylinder 2 is coupled to a flap 26, which can bepivoted about a pivot axis, at a distance from this pivot axis.

A guide tube 4″ is arranged parallel to the gas spring 1″, the guidetube 4″ having, on its side facing the cylinder 2, a slot 14 extendingin the longitudinal direction.

At its one end, the guide tube 4″ is likewise fastened to the fixedcomponent 28 of the motor vehicle. A pushing and pulling member 10′ isguided displacably in the guide tube 4″ and is connected at its one endto a cable 5 which, similar to FIGS. 1 to 3, leads in a flexible casing30 to a reversible motor drive 24 which can drive the cable 5 in apushing manner to open the flap 26 and in a pulling manner to close theflap 26. For this purpose, the pushing and pulling member 10′ is fixedlyconnected to the cylinder 2 via a connecting element 15 protrudingradially through the slot 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the guide tube 4″ can be designed as a singlepart.

To facilitate installation, the guide tube 4″ can also be assembled,according to FIG. 6, from two half tube parts 16 and 17.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7, that end of the piston rod 3which protrudes out of the cylinder 2 is fastened to a fixed component28 of a motor vehicle while the cylinder 2 can be moved relative to thefixed component 28.

A second guide tube 18 is arranged parallel to the gas spring 1′″, theguide tube 18 having, on its side facing the cylinder 2, a slot 14extending in the longitudinal direction.

At its one end, the guide tube 18 is likewise fastened to the fixedcomponent 28 of the motor vehicle.

A pushing and pulling member 10′ is guided displacably in the guide tube18 and is connected at its one end to a cable 5 which leads in aflexible casing 30 (see FIG. 2) to a first guide tube 19 and ends thereat a second pushing and pulling member 20 to which it is connected. Theend of the cable 5 and the adjoining part of the second pushing andpulling member 20 are guided displacably in the first guide tube 19coupled to a fixed component 28 of the motor vehicle, with the free endof the pushing and pulling member 20 protruding out of the first guidetube 19 and being connected in an articulated manner to the flap 26 at adistance from the pivot axis of the flap 26.

A threaded spindle 21 extending in the longitudinal direction parallelto the gas spring 1′″ is fastened at its one end to the cylinder 2 ofthe gas spring 1′″. An axially fixed spindle nut 22 sits on the threadedspindle 21 and can be driven rotatably by a driven pinion 23 of areversible electric motor 24 fixedly connected to the fixed component 28of the motor vehicle. The motor 24 can be, for example, anon-self-locking electric motor.

The cable 5 can be driven by the drive 24 via an electromechanicalcoupling.

Depending on the direction of rotation of the electric motor 24, thecylinder 2 is moved by the spindle drive, which is formed by spindle nut22 and threaded spindle 21, retracting or extending the piston rod 3,and can thus move the flap 26 in the opening direction or in the closingdirection via the first pushing and pulling member 10′, the cable 5 andthe second pushing and pulling member 20.

For this purpose, the pushing and pulling member 10′ is fixedlyconnected to the cylinder 2 via a connecting element 15 protrudingradially through the slot 14.

A sensor 34 for detecting a speed of movement of the flap 26 and adevice 36 for comparing a measured value of the speed of movement with adesired value can be provided, so that the drive can be driven in astoppable or reversible manner if the measured value is lower than thedesired value.

It can be useful to provide a plurality of tension and compressionelements which each lead to a gas spring and can be driven by the drive.A large flap can also be pivoted by a plurality of devices according tothe invention.

Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodimentthereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutionsand changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and intheir operation, may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expresslyintended that all combinations of those elements and/or method stepswhich perform substantially the same function in substantially the sameway to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/ormethod steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosedform or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any otherdisclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a generalmatter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore; to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A device for actuating a pivoting movement of a flap of a vehicleabout a pivot axis, the device comprising: a gas spring having acylinder extending in a longitudinal direction and a piston rodextending out of one side of the cylinder, one of the cylinder or thepiston rod being coupled to a fixed component of a body of the vehicle,and the other one of the cylinder and the piston rod being coupled tothe flap at a distance from the pivot axis; a flexurally rigid guideextending in the longitudinal direction parallel adjacent to the gasspring and being fixedly connected to the cylinder of the gas spring; aflexible tension and compression element having first and secondregions, the first region being guided in the guide and beingoperatively connected to the flap and the second region being guided ina flexible casing; and a reversible drive connected to the second regionsuch that the flexible tension and compression element is drivable bythe reversible drive in the longitudinal direction.
 2. The device ofclaim 1, wherein an extent of the guide in the longitudinal directionapproximately corresponds to an extended length of the piston rod of thegas spring.
 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a pushing andpulling rod connected to the first region of the tension and compressionelement and a connecting member connecting a free end of the tension andcompression element to a free end of the piston rod protruding out ofthe cylinder.
 4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a supportingmember fixedly connected to the cylinder and a helical compressionspring radially enclosing the gas spring and the guide, the helicalcompression spring having a first end supported on the connecting memberand a second end supported on the supporting member.
 5. A device foractuating a pivoting movement of a flap of a vehicle about a pivot axis,the device comprising: a gas spring having a cylinder extending in alongitudinal direction and a piston rod extending out of one side of thecylinder, one of the cylinder or the piston rod being coupled to a fixedcomponent of a body of the vehicle, and the other one of the cylinderand the piston rod being coupled to the flap at a distance from thepivot axis; a flexurally rigid guide extending in the longitudinaldirection parallel and adjacent to the gas spring and having one endportion fixedly connected to the one of the cylinder or the piston rod;a flexible tension and compression element having first and secondregions, the first region being guided in the guide, being connected tothe other one of the cylinder and the piston rod and being operativelyconnected to the flap, and the second region being guided in a flexiblecasing; and a reversible drive connected to the second region such thatthe flexible tension and compression element is drivable by thereversible drive in the longitudinal direction.
 6. The device of claim5, wherein the guide has a longitudinally extending slot on a sidefacing the cylinder, and wherein the device further comprises aconnecting element protruding radially through the slot and fixedlyconnecting the first region of the tension and compression element tothe other one of the cylinder and the piston rod.
 7. The device of claim5, wherein the guide comprises a continuous guide tube or a plurality ofguide tube sections arranged coaxially at a distance one behind another.8. The device of claim 7, wherein the guide tube or the plurality ofguide tube sections each comprise half tube parts connected to eachother.
 9. A device for actuating a pivoting movement of a flap of avehicle about a pivot axis, the device comprising: a gas spring having acylinder extending in a longitudinal direction, a piston, and a pistonrod having a cross-sectional dimension and extending out of a first sideof the cylinder, one of the cylinder and the piston rod being coupled toa fixed component of a body of the vehicle, and the other one of thecylinder and the piston rod being coupled to the flap at a distance fromthe pivot axis; a flexurally rigid guide extending in the longitudinaldirection from a second side of the cylinder of the gas spring oppositefrom said first side; a flexible tension and compression element havinga first region guided in the guide and a second region guided in aflexible casing; a connecting rod having a cross-sectional dimension andextending in a sealed manner into the cylinder through the second sideand being fixedly connected to the piston, wherein the cross-sectionaldimension of the piston rod exceeds the cross-sectional dimension of theconnecting rod, the first region being operatively connected to the flapthrough the connecting rod and the piston rod; and a reversible driveconnected to the second region such that the flexible tension andcompression element is drivable by the reversible drive in thelongitudinal direction.
 10. A device for actuating a pivoting movementof a flap of a vehicle about a pivot axis, the device comprising: a gasspring having a cylinder extending in a longitudinal direction and apiston rod extending through one side of the cylinder, the cylinderbeing operatively coupled to the flap at a distance from the pivot axis,and the piston rod being coupled to a fixed component of a body of thevehicle; a first flexurally rigid guide connected at a distance from thepivot axis of the flap to a fixed component of the body of the vehicle;a second guide connected to a fixed component of the body of the vehicleand extending in the longitudinal direction parallel and adjacent to thegas spring; a flexible tension and compression element having a firstregion, a second region, and a third region intermediate the first andsecond regions, the first region being guided in the first guide andconnected to the flap, the second region being guided in the secondguide and being connected to the cylinder, and the third region beingguided in a flexible casing and connecting the first and second regions;and a reversible drive operatively connected for acting on the secondregion such that the flexible tension and compression element isdrivable by the reversible drive in the longitudinal direction.
 11. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the second guide has a longitudinallyextending slot on a side facing the cylinder, and wherein the devicefurther comprises a connecting element radially protruding through theslot and fixedly connecting the second region of the tension andcompression element to the cylinder.
 12. The device of claim 10, whereinthe second guide comprises a continuous guide tube or a plurality ofguide tube sections arranged coaxially at a distance one behind another.13. The device of claim 12, wherein the guide tube or the plurality ofguide tube sections are composed of half tube parts connected to eachother.
 14. The device of claim 10, further comprising a spindle driveconnected between the reversible motor and the cylinder for moving thecylinder of the gas spring in the longitudinal direction.
 15. The deviceof claim 14, wherein the spindle drive comprises a longitudinallyextending threaded spindle having one end fastened to the cylinder ofthe gas spring by an axially fixed spindle nut, the spindle beingrotatably drivable by the reversible motor.
 16. The device of claim 1,wherein the tension and compression element is a cable.
 17. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the reversible drive is a reversible electric motor.18. The device of claim 17, wherein the electric motor is anon-self-locking electric motor.
 19. The device of claim 1, furthercomprising a lock for locking the flap in a closed position.
 20. Thedevice of claim 19, wherein the lock is an electromechanical lock. 21.The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tension andcompression elements which each lead to a gas spring and can be drivenby the drive.
 22. The device of claim 1, wherein the flap can be drivenpivotably by a plurality of devices.
 23. The device of claim 1, furthercomprising an electromechanical coupling for driving the tension andcompression element.
 24. The device of claim 1, further comprising asensor for detecting a speed of movement of the flap and a device forcomparing a measured value with a desired value, the drive beingdrivable in a stoppable or reversible manner if the measured value islower than the desired value.